Pro Tools 2020.12 M1 Mac Mini

[EGS]

Originally Posted by seebee62

Here’s some PT 2020.12 Session info with the M1 Mini 16/1TB. UA Apollo Twin MKII Big Sur 11.2.3

Fired up this session for the first time on the Mini.

Details
66 Audio Tracks
35 Aux
19 VCA’s

Plugins
Waves Redd17-1
Waves CLA 76-7
PT BF 76 -2
PT EQ3-15
Waves SSL EQ -6
Waves Q10-8
PT D3 Comp-1
Waves SSL E Channel -5
Waves Doubler 4-2
UA SVTC Bass Amp-2
UA 1176-1
Waves SSL Buss Comp-1
PT Trim Plugs-66

Disk Activity 1%
Total CPU Usage 12%
Memory Activity 39%






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Great! Buffer?

[seebee62]

Originally Posted by EGS

Great! Buffer?

I think it was 256.


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[EGS]

Originally Posted by seebee62

I think it was 256.


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Have you tried tracking @ 64?

[Oblivion777]

Maybe this was asked already but still has anyone tried Play, Kontakt, Spitfire’s BBCSO or other similar VIs and populated them with heavy libraries? Some people are saying that 16GB RAM in an M1 is completely different thing than in a traditional comp. Personally I cannot imagine loading a 42GB template being okay with the 16GB in an M1.

[Stephen Bond]

Will be interesting to see for sure.

In one sense anything coming off a SSD drive is streaming from (a type of) RAM rather than a physical disc. I recall Kontakt used to have the option to stream from disc rather than RAM so I wonder if this is still present?

Either way, the main issue is getting these plugins up and running and useable on the M1 in the first place. Maybe we need a thread about which plugins are working and which are not on the M1?

Stephen

[seebee62]

Originally Posted by EGS

Have you tried tracking @ 64?

I haven’t but I’ll try it. I have some parts to record sometime this week.


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[seebee62]

Originally Posted by Stephen Bond

Will be interesting to see for sure.



In one sense anything coming off a SSD drive is streaming from (a type of) RAM rather than a physical disc. I recall Kontakt used to have the option to stream from disc rather than RAM so I wonder if this is still present?



Either way, the main issue is getting these plugins up and running and useable on the M1 in the first place. Maybe we need a thread about which plugins are working and which are not on the M1?



Stephen

All of my plugins are working on M1

Waves V12
Sound Toys
SSL Native
UAD
Metric Halo

Instruments

Addictive Drums 2
Addictive Keys
EZ Drumner 2
Komplete 13 except Massive X which is Intel specific currently.
Air Technology
SSD 5
UVI

Utility
Izotope RX7

I found more plugins incompatible with Logic Pro than with PT.

As I posted previously I lost zero time in the transition. I spent more time physically setting up the computer removing my old iMac than I did on incompatible software. Spent more time waiting on the delivery of a second display.

I’m new to Kontak so I don’t know how to use ram to stream VI sample libraries.

The M1 is not a current solution for everyone. I needed a new computer. I considered a 2020 iMac but with upgrades it would cost well over 3K. Plus I wanted to get back into Logic Pro and after seeing a video of the M1 doing some heavy lifting with processing in LP I figured I’d go with the M1 Mini.

I wasn’t expecting PT to work on the M1 but it more than works to my surprise. I will be able to finish all of my PT projects with the M1 and start new ones without any concern. My plan was to finish my PT projects on my iMac and transition some of things to LP.

Once Apple comes out with more powerful AS Macs with more ram they’ll be great.


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[Stephen Bond]

Sounds very promising indeed! I'm glad to see a good few on the list that I have.

I understand some things might never make it to the M1. I lost a few along the way in the name of progress, TDM only plugins, RTAS plugins that never got to AAX and such. That said there are some deal breakers. I wonder how my Pro Tools will get on as I've bowed out at PT 20.9? Seems to be OK from what I saw with people running similar versions on the M1.

Stephen

[Eric Lambert]

Originally Posted by Oblivion777

Maybe this was asked already but still has anyone tried Play, Kontakt, Spitfire’s BBCSO or other similar VIs and populated them with heavy libraries? Some people are saying that 16GB RAM in an M1 is completely different thing than in a traditional comp. Personally I cannot imagine loading a 42GB template being okay with the 16GB in an M1.

M1s are more efficient with the memory they have, but there's no escaping the physical limitations of RAM. If you have less, there's simply less room to load data which requires RAM. I'm sure disk and RAM swapping is largely improved, and 16GB may feel like 32. But not when you're trying to load those large libraries, as you mentioned. We may have to adjust the size of the RAM preloads for each library (those that allow this adjustment). Personally, with the amount of VIs I use these days, I'd not feel confident with a machine with less than 32GB, even a more efficient M1. Sample libraries just keep getting bigger.

[GoButtonGuy]

It’s more an issue with users feeling comfortable with the amount of RAM expressed as a spec rather than how the architecture works. It will take a bit for many users to trust it and some never will.

Keep in mind the current M1 Macs are entry level. As much as one wouldn’t have used an Air or Mini for these heavier tasks on Intel one wouldn’t choose an entry level config for large scale use cases. But you can do more of these tasks on an M1. The next iteration will be in the second half of the year with the base reported to be 16GB RAM on the base model with a 32GB option with a reported 16 core GPU. As long as they can hold the base prices in the $1500-$2000 range it will be a winner.